Fort Laramie woman seeks justice for deceased pets
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GOSHEN COUNTY – A Fort Laramie woman is searching for answers after finding her livestock guardian dogs dead on two separate occasions in a matter of days.
Lynn Krupnik is mourning the loss of two sibling Great Pyrenees mix canines, John Boy and Mary Ellen. She owned the animals for nine years.
“I am absolutely devastated,”
she said.
On Thursday, July 6, Krupnik said she was heading to water her horses before work when she found John Boy deceased with his head stuck in
the fence.
“In nine years, he had never done anything like that before,” she said.
On the other side of the fence was water, but the animal could have reached it by simply walking around the structure.
“I spoke to a veterinarian friend of mine … who said certain poisons will make dogs really thirsty,” Krupnik said.
While mourning the loss of the male dog, Krupnik felt the need to comfort her female canine as she believed the animals to be “extremely bonded.”
“She missed her brother,” she said.
Monday, as Krupnik left for work, she called to Mary Ellen, but was not able to find her before leaving. Later that day, Krupnik’s son discovered the second deceased animal in
the barn.
“I called the (sheriff’s) deputies, because I knew at that point someone had poisoned my dogs,” Krupnik said.
Goshen County Undersheriff Jeremy Wardell sent two deputies to investigate the deaths. The deputies were unable to find signs of snakebite or other wounds and ultimately determined the dogs died of natural causes, he said. Wardell also said there have been no additional reports of suspicious or unusual pet deaths made to the Sheriff’s Department recently.
“I spoke to my veterinarian friend again, and she said if it was a fast-acting poison, there would be no signs,” Krupnik said. “I even had taken (my dog’s) photo the night before, and she was perfect. One of the deputies mentioned it was strange my dog died with her tongue hanging out.”
Krupnik said the cost of a necropsy – which she estimated would be somewhere around $3,000 – has prevented her from investigating further, but her instincts still suggest foul play.
“I know it wasn’t my neighbors – they loved them. My dogs kept the (mountain) lions and coyotes away. Now we have no protection,” Krupnik said. “Everybody that met them loved them. It’s horrible. They were my buddies. I’m lost without them.”
As of Wednesday morning, Krupnik was offering an $800 reward for information about her dogs’ deaths, with the potential for more, as she said her friends have donated money to the cause.
“I would love to at least get some kind of justice for them,” she said.
Individuals with information may call Krupnik at (307) 575-7100 or the Goshen County Sheriff’s Department at (307) 532-4026.
